- FOX has flexed the Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals game in Week 14 to an earlier time slot.
- The Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers game will now be played in the later 4:25 p.m. ET window.
- The NFL allows for flex scheduling on Sunday afternoons and in prime time for specific weeks of the season.
The first flex of the NFL season paid off for CBS. Now FOX is trying its hand at a switcheroo, this one moving the Buffalo Bills’ Week 14 (Dec. 7) tilt against the Cincinnati Bengals from 4:25 p.m. ET to 1 p.m. ET. Moving later in the day is the Chicago Bears’ game against the Green Bay Packers from Lambeau Field.
CBS will likely be all-in surrounding the AFC North matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens in the early window. FOX can now prioritize the NFC North tilt between one of the classic NFL rivalries.
The Bengals have been without quarterback Joe Burrow for much of the season. But he returned to practice the week before the team’s Nov. 24 game against the New England Patriots. Cincinnati also plays Thanksgiving Day (night) at 8:20 p.m. ET in Baltimore.
CBS turned to the San Francisco 49ers hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6. The game, shown in 78% of markets, drew 26.8 million viewers.
It’s worth noting Nielsen’s recent methodological changes. In 2020, the company introduced out-of-home viewing – which the networks long claimed was being underreported – and expanded on it this year. They also shifted to a “Big Data + Panel,” which Nielsen says better measures viewing on digital devices.
In prime time, flex scheduling is eligible for “Sunday Night Football” (NBC) twice between Weeks 5–10 and as needed the rest of the season. “Monday Night Football” (ESPN) games can be changed from weeks 12-17. Finally, “Thursday Night Football” contests can be altered between Weeks 13-17.
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